Locking means for automobiles



Jan. 16, 1923.

' T1 C. BRASKET.

LOCKING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILES.

FILED JUNE 9.1919.

Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNiTED STATES Ymaan PATENT oFElcE.

THOMAS C. BRASKET, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 ERNEST N. HILL, OE ANDERSON, INDIANA.

Application led June 9,

`when the vehicle is locked the steeringassembly is out of control and therefore the vehicle cannot be driven under its own power, or even pushed from place to place except with great difficulty.

In accordance with the invention, the steering wheel, in the normal steering position,.is secured to the steering connections of the steering assembly so that the steering may be performed in the' usual manner, but in such positionofthe steering wheel the lock requires the presence of a key and the latter must remain in the lock. On leaving the'vehicle and therefore locking it, the steering "wheel is moved out'of the axis of the steering post, either by tilting the steering wheel upwardly for under-` neath control or downwardly for overlying control, and when the wheel is in such tilted position the key may be removed, thereby `causing the fastening of the wheel in such tilted position, and, furthermore, the arrangement is such that when the wheel is tilted it is loose upon the steering post for rotation independently of the steering mechanism. f A

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description `taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, `with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strictconformity` with the showing ofthe drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modi-` lications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention` as eX` pressed in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an automobile i steering wheel with the inventionapplied.

LOCKING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILES.

1919. Serial N0. 302,851.

Figure 2 is asection on the line 2 2 of Fioure l. f y.

iigure 3 is a section on the line 3,-3 of Figure l. y

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 2. i

Figure 5 is a section similar to Figure 2,`

but showing the wheel fully tilted and locked.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown an automobile steering wheel l and a steering shaft or arbor 2 for carrying it. No attempt is made in the drawing to show any particular type of steering wheel and carrier therefor, `since these features vary considerably in different makes of automobiles, so the showing of the drawing may be taken as indicative of any `of-a variety of steering wheels and their supporting arbors.` Some makes of automobiles are provided with the fuel and spark controls above the steering wheel and others have the controlling levers below the steering wheel. These cont-rolling levers are not shown in the drawing for the invention has nothing to do `with such parts of anjautomobile. y v y It is to be understood that `the post or arbor`2 is customarily slanted in automobiles and the steering wheel l, when in position for steering purposes, is likewise slanted or tilted instead of being arranged asfshown in the drawing. which showing` has been adopted to permit a closer assemblage of the iigures than would otherwise be feasible. Fixed to the upper end of the arbor 2is1a collar 3 held thereto Aby a key or spline i and a nut 5 so that the arbor 2 and collar 3 are effectively one-piece. The arbor is provided with a circumferential fiange forming a stepbearing or 'abutment foi-the collar 3 andthe nut 5 isi-,proi

Traversing the enlargement 10 and inV part encroaching tangentially on the collar 3 is a pin 11 having a cut-out12` on one side intermediate of its length `and conforming to the circumferential shapeof the collar 3 so that when the cutfoutin the pin is opposite the collar the fact that the pin is in tangentially,traversing relation to the collar does'not interfere in any manner with relative rotation of either the collar 3 or the sleeve 8 one about the other. 'The wheel 1 has a rim portion 13 connected yby spokes 1,4 to a hub 15, which latter embraces the sleeve 8 and has side y,portions 16 parallel one to the other and hugging opposite sides of the sleeve 8, which opposite sides are also parallel to each other, and have 'the ends of the pin 11 projecting through them as shown at 17. The-projecting ends 17 ofthe pin 11are secured to the side portions 16 so as to turn therewith. This may be done-by forming the ends of the pin with tangential slots and driving lock pins' A18 therethrough. Of course other means'may be employed for the same purpose which is to hold the pin 11 in firm relation to the hub 15. The pin 11 Constitutes a pivot or fulerumfpin for the steering wheel 1 andthe pin 11 turns with thefsteering wheel about an axis lateral to the length ofthe steering post 2, permitting the steering wheel 1 to be tilted from its normal working position to a nearly or quite upright position. Tn Figure 2 the steering wheel, as shown in full lines, may be assumed to be in the normal partially tilted y position and to be shownin dotted lines-as having been moved from the normal position toward the full tilted position but not yet having reached such last-named position.

The taper portion 9 of the hub ,of the steering `wheel is such as to permit tilting 'of thesteering wheel about the a-Xis of the pivot pin 11. An appropriate one of the spokes 14 is formed with a boss 19 in which there is housed al pin 2O havinga stem 21 extending outside of the boss andvthere provided with a push-button or head 22. A spring 23 within thevboss tends to clonstantly urge the pin toward the normal axis of turning of the wheelwiththe steering post. The pin 2O is of sufficient length to pass through the sleeve 8 and enter a socket 24; in the collar 3. Vhen the pin 20 is withdrawn to a sufficient extent to leave the socket 24 and clear the sleeve 8, the wheelv may be tilted, lwith the pin 11 as an axis,

in a rising` direction.A The showing of the ing slot 25 of suitable length. width and depth 'to take in the corresponding portion of a key 26 'which may lbe' of burglar-proof while theenlargement 10 is provided with a type and similar to the well known Yale lock keys. rlhe p in 11 may correspond to the pin barrel of a lock of the Yale type and carries a series of pins or tumblers 27 boss 28 in which are lodged corresponding tumblers or followers 29 each urged toward the key slot by a spring 30 back of which is the usual holding plug or screw 31. The plugs 31-may be held in place by a cap plate 32 or any other suitable means for retaining the parts may be employed.

The pin or barrel 11 differs from similar devices used in locks in that it constitutes a pivot fast to and movable with the pivoted member and is not independently .turned by a key as is the habit in pin barrel locks. The arrangement is such that when-the steering wheel is in the normal runningposition the locking pin 20 is seatediinthe socket 24, thus holding the wheel in vproper relation-to the post 2. Furthermore, the pin 11 is so turned about its longitudinal axis' vthat a suitable portion of the pin `is lodged in the collar 3 in tangential `relation thereto so that the sleeve S, hub 15 and collar' 3 are all locked together and tothe steering post 2, the several parts being` of ample area and bulk to ywithstand the strains of steering.

'When'the steering wheel is tilted to vor nearly toa position of parallelism with the steering post, the pins 27 are brought into coincidence with the followersv29 and these followers then'advance iiito the pin 11 suiiiciently to span the joint between-the pin 11 and the part of the sleeve 8 Carrying the followers. This forms an effective lock Iwith the .pins 27 entering the pin 1v1 radially for a suflicient extent in traversing'relation to '105 the key slot. y The wheel is therefore positively locked in the extreme tilted position inthe absence of the key. On introducing the key into the key slot the pins 27 Vare forced toward the surface of the pin11 until 110 the'ends of the pins 27 engaging the tumblers 29 coincide with the oint between the surface of the pin 11 and the surface of the passage housing'the pin 11. This permits thc turning of the wheel from its extreme 115 tilted posit-ion toward the working position but with the key lodged in the key slot from which it cannot be removed so long as the pins 27 are out of register with the tumblers 29. It istherefore necessary 120 *that the key remain in the vslot in the piny 11 while the steering wheel is being used for steering purposes and i-s held by the pin 20 in thesteering position.

The automobile ylock'is of a nature put- 125 ting the steering wheel wholly outv of com-l mission, the wheel being freely turnable without in any manner affecting or engaging the steering post or arbor, ,-and, -furthermore, locked in the fextrem'e 'tilted po- 130 sition `Where it cannot be `employed. for

\ steering purposes, but provides ampleroom for an operator to-enter orleave the vehicle on the steering Wheel side Where Ordinarily the ,room is very limited. f

` A. steering Wheel lock of the-type permitting the disconnectionof the steering Wheel his from the rest of` the 'steering assembly, ,so that the Wheel *will simply .rotater idly, is advantageous in 'not only preventing steering of the automobile by driving it ofi' :un-

der its own power but renders pushing of the automobile or even tovvingof the auto- .mobile extremely diiiicult because of the lack of controlof the steering Wheels. yThe invention has the further advantage of pro-v viding means for indicating visibly that the steering Wheel is out of commissionlby the steering wheel being tilted to a position approximately parallel with the steering post,

orin any event materially removed from its f ordinary Well recognized operative position.

The lock ot the invention therefore not only i renders it out of thequestion to operate the and to retain the key When the Wheel is in `normal steering position.

2. ln an automobile provided with aytiltable steering Wheel, a pivot or hinge pin for the steering Wheel, said pin carrying-lock elements, and co-acting lock elements carried by the portion oit` the automobile upon which the steering Wheel is tiltable, said lock elements being key-operated and operable to lock the Wheel when in its tilted position, and prevent its return to its normal position until the key is inserted.

In an automobile provided With a tiltable steering Wheel, a pivoter hinge pin for thefsteering Wheel, said pin carrying .lock i elements, and co-acting lock elements carried by the portion of the automobile upon which the steering Wheel is tiltable, said coacting lock elements having a normal tendency to move to locking position and rei sponsive to the insertion oit a key to move to the unlocked position. 4. The combination of a steering post, "a

` y sleeve thereon, a steering Wheel having its hub-ntting the sleeve, and a key-operated z lock pin or barrelV arranged tangentially relative to the hub and sleeve for locking the parts together, said lock pin or barrel being located on one side,l of the sleeve and said vvheelhub havinga latch pin on the opposite side of the sleeve from the lock pin or barrel. y 5. An automobile lock comprising a steeringlvvheel tiltable from an operative position, and a lock actuated by the tilting of the Wheel to lock the Wheel in the tilted position, said Wheel also having means for disconnecting it When in the tilted position from the steering assembly ot the automobile.

6. An automobile lock comprising a steering Wheel tiltable from an operative position, means for holding the Wheel in the operative position and releasing it therefrom, and a lock for connecting the Wheel to the steering assembly when 'diie Wheel isl in steering position and disconnecting it therefrom When in the tilted position, said lock havinglocking elements responsive to the insertion of a key With the locking elements constructed to move to the locking Aposition on the tilting of the vvheel away from steering position.

7.' An automobile lock comprising a tiltable steering Wheel movable from a normal steering position and having a hinge connection permitting the tilting of the Wheel,

said hinge connection being provided With v key responsive locking and unlocking means, and also having means for connecting and disconnecting the steering Wheel from the steering assembly of the automobile, said last-named means being responsive` to the tilting movements ofthe steering Wheel and timed to connect* the Wheel to the steering assembly when the Wheel is in steering position. y i

8.y `An automobile lock comprising a tiltable steering Wheel having a normal steering position, a hinge connection carrying the steering Wheel and provided With a hinge or pivot pin, said pin and the part of the steering assembly carrying the Wheel having co-actng means for connecting the Wheel to and disconnecting it Jfrom the steering as'- sembly, and key-responsive means in part carried by the pin and in part'carried 4by I the `portion of the steering assembly associated with the pin, and ysaid pin partici.-

ioo l pating in the tilting movements of .the Wheel and timed in action to cause the locking of the vvheel in the tilted position and simultaneously therewith its disconnection from the associated parts of the steering assembly.

9., The combination of a steering post, a sleeve thereon, a steering Wheel with the hub mountedl on the sleeve, a lock `pin or barrel arranged tangentially to thesleeveand hub and engaging both to constitute a pivotal axis :tor the Wheel, and a latch pin for connecting the hub and sleeve on the opposite side of the steering postifrom the lock, said iso 11. In an automobileI provided I with a; tiltzilole steering Wheel, a. pivot'or hinge pin` for the *steering wheel7 vsaid pin and that part of the Wheel adjacent the )in having; coacting,key-operated locking devices, salie devices loeing` operable to release the key When the Wheel is tiltedv and to retain the key When the Wheel is in normal steering position7 said Wheel being locked by said devices rwhen in a tilted position.

In testimony, that claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiiXed myv signature.

THOMAS C. BRASKET. Witnesses:

MATTIE P. HORN,` v JAMES T. CLAMAN. 

